


Through the Dragon's Eyes

by Melody55



Series: A New Year [4]
Category: Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: Anger, F/M, Jealousy, Pokemon Battles, Secrets, Truth, idiocy, lying
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-12
Updated: 2020-10-01
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:54:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 18,698
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26431519
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Melody55/pseuds/Melody55
Summary: Raihan's perspective of "Of Ice and Scales."*Warming: there is cursing/ foul language in this story*
Relationships: Beet | Bede/Yuuri | Gloria, Dande | Leon/Sonia, Hop/Mary | Marnie, Kibana | Raihan/Original Female Character(s), Rurina | Nessa/Yarrow | Milo
Series: A New Year [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1827883
Comments: 1
Kudos: 16





	1. Dancing Around A Reunion

_I ran, pushing past workers and civilians alike. I ran until my throat started to burn and my legs trembled, pushing past the pain to runneven more. I needed to. I had to stop her. My heart dropped and my eyes widened as I watched the plane fly off. I was too late. The girl that I loved had left. Gone without a single goodbye, and I couldn’t stop her._

That was 6 years ago. 6 years of Leon reigning as Champion of Galar and 6 years of me being his main rival, the mighty Dragon leader of Hammerlocke. 6 years of her no contact, and 6 years of wondering why. Why did she leave so fast? Why did she leave all of her family and friends? Why did she leave me?

Whatever her reason, she had stayed away. Arceus only knew what region she was in when her name was brought up in a meeting. Apparently Melony and Kabu were both stepping down with Piers and Opal, and everyone thought bringing her back would be a good idea. I hated it, begged Leon not to contact her, but did he listen to me? No! That’s how I found myself frozen after her soft voice ran through my ears. 

"What is with everyone trying to tackle me?" she had laughed and my arms dropped to my sides, my eyes not leaving the woman before me. 

She was wearing a simple light blue sweater, dark blue jeans, and heeled boots with her pokeballs on her belt around her hips. Even in a high ponytail, her soft hair looked longer than it used to be. My fingers itched to grab her and pull her toward me, but I couldn’t. I had to remind myself that she had left me, that I should be over her already. So, when Sonia called out to me to say something, I muttered a quick ‘hey’ and flew off on my Flygon. 

Still, seeing her interact with Nessa and Bea, Milo and everyone else made it seem like old times. But no matter how stunning she looked while battling Bede or how amazing her new pokemon were, I had to keep reminding myself that she was just a friend, an acquaintance, a co-worker. I thought I had gotten over her, but how could be when her eyes make my stomach flip? How could I be when I see her infectious smile as she presses her forehead against the Flapple that I had given her? 

I had told myself that I was over her, so why did seeing her talking to Leon make me annoyed? He liked Sonia, right? And even if he didn’t, why would I care if he started to date Alice? Why? Because I was still in love with her. 

For six years, I had missed her, dreamed of her, and now I had no idea how to talk to the woman that left me like this. 

For the 5th time, Flygon’s blast had hit its target, drawing me out of my trance. Ever since I had seen her, I couldn’t get her out of my head. Fly had looked at me with a worried expression.

“I’m good, bud,” I waved him off, but he didn’t listen. Instead, he flew over to me and nuzzled his head against my cheek. “Yeah, thanks, bud,” I half smiled, petting his head.

“So what’s up with you?” a familiar and sultry voice spoke up. With a soft glare, I turned to see the Hammerlock mayor leaning against the wall with her arms crossed. “It’s not like you to be so off your game.”

“Leave, Scarlett, it’s none of your business,” I softy snapped. 

“Oh but it is my business if my city’s gym leader is off his game,” she began to walk forward, a forced sway in her hips. 

“Your mayoral duties have nothing to do with this gym, so why are you here?” I changed the subject.

“What, can’t an old friend visit?” she tried to feign innocence, but I knew her better.

“After your little stunt with the press, I thought I had made myself clear. I don’t have any intention in having any contact with you other than for city matters. So is the city in danger?” the question came out harsh, but that was how our relationship had turned out.

During our trials, she was kind and generous, she apparently even put in the good word with the old Dragon leader, Gilbert, that led to me being the new Dragon Gym Leader. But after that, after that 1st year, I saw a different face. She acted innocent, but she was a snake underneath all of those fancy clothes, fake nails and dyed hair. That was why she was forced to leave her job as the Gym’s secretary.

Sadly, I still had to deal with her when she then became Hammerlocke's mayor and I became its full-time gym leader. When she had spread rumors of the two of us being a couple, I had set the rumors straight and kept her out of my life as much as I could. Unfortunately, I still had city meetings and interviews that I had to do with her, but anytime I could avoid her, I would. 

“Not really,” she sighed. “Just wanted to stop in to see how my favorite gym leader was.”

“Well now you’ve seen me, now leave. You’re disturbing my practice time.”

“How can I disturb something that wasn’t going well in the first place?” she laughed. I didn’t answer. “Fine, fine,” she held her hands up in surrender. “But if you need to talk about anything, just come to me,” she offered. “After all, you must be so confused with _her_ back in town.” My head whipped around to reply, but she was already gone. 

So she knew that Alice was back? A deep sigh escaped my lips as my hand ran through my hair. My eyes glanced over at the clock, widening at the time. “Shit,” I cursed, quickly drawing Fly back to his Pokeball. Sonia was going to kill me if I was late for the club.

I had never showered or gotten so quickly in my life. I had run so fast that my lungs were practically burning when I got to the club.

“Hey, Rai,” Leon’s voice called me over. With a grin, I thanked Arceus that Sonia hadn’t arrived yet. “I want you to meet Madison, she and her brother Mark are going to be taking over for Kabu,” Leon’s hand was on the shoulder of a petite woman with long black hair and a red and gold dress. 

“Welcome to the family,” I greeted, making her smile. She was competitive, I could give her that. She knew her pokemon types and immediately wanted to challenge me to a battle. I laughed with her. At first glance, no one would have guessed that this petite girl had such a fire. Unfortunately, I didn’t hear much of what she had said after that because my eyes caught sight of an ice blue dress and the woman that wore it. I had forgotten to breathe as my eyes took in how her light makeup and softly curled hair looked under the lights. Her skin seemed to glow as she smiled and sipped on her drink. My lips fell as they realized that she was talking to a guy at the bar.

“Hey Leon,” I quickly glanced at him before going back to the ice beauty. “Who’s Alice talking to?”

“Oh, that’s Mark, my brother,” Madison spoke up. "I guess he found someone to talk to. Oh, and they look super cute together," She giggled.

“Well, why don’t we invite them over here? I mean this night is about meeting the new gym leaders, right?” My brow rose as I looked at Leon.

His lips were spread into a grin as he rolled his eyes, mumbling something about being right back before he left. I hadn’t even realized that my fists had balled up until he told me to relax. Before I could formally meet Mark or greet Alice, Gordie had pulled me to the side. I was barely able to listen to the rock leader as my eyes kept flicking over to the woman with dirty blonde hair and a glowing smile. 

“There she is,” Gordie’s voice boomed, his arms spreading out and almost spilling his drink. 

“Hey Gordie," She greeted with a quick hug. 

"Lookin good, aren't we?" he grinned down at her. 

"If I don't look good, then blame Sonia and Nessa," she joked, earning a 'hey' the water leader and the scientist. A silent laugh escaped my throat as I shook my head. Her not looking good? Impossible. 

"I told you, Alice, you look hot in that," Nessa grinned. "Doesn't she, Rai?" My eyes widened at the model’s words. 

Shit, what was I supposed to say? That she took my breath away when I saw her? That she looked radiant, gorgeous? None of those words even began to say how she looked. "Yeah," The words awkwardly fell from my lips. Shit, that sounded weird. I quickly cleared my throat, my eyes finding the bar as an escape. “I’m going to go get another drink,” I mumbled before taking my leave. The last thing I heard from them was Milo saying how Alice would have guys falling all over her, as if I didn’t know that already. She had guys drooling over her, on and off the field, when we were younger. Leon and I had to fend away countless horny teens without her knowing. It was bad then, so why would it change now? My chest tightened at the memory of her just smiling at Mark. How the hell was I going to make it through this year, let alone tonight? 

I inwardly groaned, taking the drink that the bartender had given me and shooting it down my throat. I could see her, still talking to the others, but she seemed compliant with whatever Sonia had said but still unsure. That is until she downed the rest of her little blue drink. My lips parted and my eyes widened at the sight. The sweet little Alice had a bit of a wild side? Who knew? All I knew was that Sonia and Nessa had pulled her out on the dancefloor with Madison, and I was enjoying every minute of it. The 18-year-old girl that I had known all those years ago had turned into an irresistible woman. I couldn’t help but keep my eyes on her as her hips swayed to the music. I grinned when she would dance with one of the girls, and my chest would warm as her smile grew. She was finally letting loose and I couldn't get enough of it. 

But that couldn’t last. My jaw tightened and my palms fisted when Mark snaked his arm around her waist. My eyes narrowed as he leaned down to whisper in her ear. I turned away when I saw her nod and lean into him. When I turned back, I could see her sweetly smiling at him as he talked, but that was all I could see before I was tugged away by a busty redhead in a green dress.

“Come dance with me, handsome,” her arm slithered around my neck as her back pressed against my chest. 

“Not really interested,” I tried to push her off, but she clung to me. 

“Oh come on baby boy, just one little dance? I’m sure your friends won’t mind,” I tried to push her off of me, but it was no use.

“Listen, I said that I’m not interested,” I tried to repeat, but she still didn't get it. 

One moment, I could have looked up to see Leon talking to Alice, the next, she was gone. My eyes searched the room for her, but I couldn't see her. That is, until I spotted her outside with Mark’s arm around her. Once again, my hands balled into fists as I watched them. On the outside, it seemed fine, just a boy and a girl sitting outside talking. But I knew there was more. Alice was hurt, not physically, but emotionally. I had seen that look before. Each time she lost a battle or didn’t get a pokemon she wanted, but this was more. She wasn’t just hurt, this was more. 

My feet began to step forward when her eyes met mine. It was just a quick glance, but it stopped me in my tracks. Every bone in my body told me to go to her, to comfort her and see what was wrong, just like I had always done during the trials. But I froze. I watched as she stood with the new fire leader, then vanished into the night. I watched as he sighed and turned to walk back.

“Hey, where’s Alice?” Sonia’s voice drew me away. 

“Uh, I-” I began to speak, but Mark was at our side in seconds. 

“Alice didn’t feel well so she went back to her room,” he quickly explained. Lies.

“Aw, poor girl,” the scientist rocked back and forth on her heels, “it was probably that fish pasta thingy she had for lunch,” she stumbled. 

“Yeah, probably that,” Mark agreed. My eyes narrowed on him, and I knew there was something more. She wasn’t sick because of some lunch thing. She went back because something happened. Her expression showed sadness, not sickness. 

The rest of the night passed as a blur since I could barely concentrate on anything anyone was saying. I couldn’t even concentrate after Sonia popped up with her phone, exclaiming that Alice had gotten home safe. The image of Mark with his arm around her haunted me even through the little amount of dreams I had that night. The only good thing to come out of the night was me seeing Leon finally walk Sonia home, then the text from him saying that he wouldn’t be by my place later since he was staying over at Sonia’s hotel room. 

I groaned. At least one of us got our girl.


	2. The Love of an Applin

The morning was no better for me. Fly had woken me up before the sun had even broken through my windows, and hadn’t left me alone till he knew I was ready to leave to train. Forget that I had a massive hangover and barely got any sleep because I kept seeing Alice in my dreams. Forget that I only had time to grab a quick cup of coffee and a power bar before a practice that was supposed to start a full 2 hours later. I was at the Gym at 5:30 sharp, Fly following me as I Turned the necessary lights on; the front, the stadium, the bathrooms, and locker rooms, ending with my own office.

There were a few moments where Fly curled on his bed in the corner, peacefully letting me eat my PowerBar and look over some paperwork. But that ended when his head picked up, staring toward the door, the same as mine. Before leaving my office, I recalled Fly back to his Pokeball, even though he protested, and set off through the gym, following the noises. Who in the bloody hell was here at 6 in the morning? All of my trainers were supposed to have the day off, the same as the Ball Guy and Ref. Not even the other leaders were supposed to be here this early. Apparently, no one had told Alice that as the girl of my dreams stood on the field with tight black leggings and a form-fitting tank top that caused me to pause. I was starting to think that she could make anything look good. 

I watched as she whispered something to her two pokeballs that she took from her belt, then threw them in the air, a grumpy looking Weavile and a familiar Glaceon appearing. 

“Thought I was the only one crazy enough to get up this early,” my voice brought me forward before she could call out a move. Immediately, all three looked my way, Yuki perking up and running toward me. With a smile and a laugh, I held my arms out as she jumped. I couldn't help but laugh on the inside. Yuki did to me what Fly always did to Alice. Maybe that was a sign? No, it couldn’t be. 

“Isn’t this a bit late for you, Raihan?” she joked with a grin, “I seem to remember you getting up at the crack of dawn each day. I used to hate waking up to sandstorms and fire blasts,” a laugh escaped her lips as I stopped in front of her. I remembered it well. Both she and Sonia would get annoyed at Leon and I. Sonia was the only one that would be able to go to sleep after yelling at us to ‘keep it down.’ “I could never sleep past 6:30, still can’t sometimes," she continued, but it wasn’t a complaint.

“Glad I got you into the habit,” I smirked, my sharp teeth showing. “Now, what are you doing here this early?” I had to ask, but I had to turn my eyes away, even when handing Yuki over to her owner. If I had been caught by her mesmerizing eyes, I knew I would freeze and make a fool out of myself. “Practice doesn’t start till 7, 7:30 if you’re counting when Leon, Sonia, and the others will actually get here.” I cringed, thinking of how many times Kabu had yelled at us for not being on time. “Not really looking forward to Kabu’s lecture about punctuality.” 

I could visibly see her brows furrow as she set Yuki down beside her. “But I thought it was supposed to start at 6?” she questioned. I shook my head and saw her take in a deep breath as she looked away. 

Immediately, I understood. Sonia or Nessa had probably told her the wrong time, though I had no idea why. All I knew was that she was here now and it was just us and our pokemon. “So how about a battle, since you’re here?” I had to challenge, holding Fly’s Pokeball up. 

“Type or general?” she asked.

“Type,” I quickly answered. I needed to know how she had improved and even though I had seen her battle Bede, she always pulled out all her stops against Leon and me. I knew she had gotten new pokemon, but how well did she train them? My mind flashed to the picnic and the tall Garchomp that she had shown off at one point. My eyes trailed down and I rubbed the back of my neck. “But before that can I- can I see your Garchomp again?” 

I could feel my chest leap when she smiled and nodded. I couldn’t help but watch her as she walked over to Sonia’s makeshift lab, gripping on to her only Dusk Ball, tossing it up to call the creature out. It had let out a quiet roar that was really more like a yawn as its large talons stretched to the sides. “I know, I know,” her angelic voice drew my attention. “I woke you up from your beauty sleep,” she teased her pokemon, leaning down to dig through her bag. My eyes never left them as her Garchomp snorted in a pout, walking over to its trainer. Her laugh sent chills up my arms as her Garchomp nudged her cheek, taking his treat in one bite. 

Alice had always had a way with her pokemon, treated them like her friends, and even her own babies at times. She respected them and their power, and they respected and fought for her. Most trainers would kill for the type of trust that Alice had gotten so easily from all her pokemon. It was good to be able to see that again. It was good to see her again, to hear her laugh, and to allow her smile to capture my heart once more. 

I watched as she whispered something to him, rubbing his head. Whatever she had told him, the Garchomp had lifted his head and eyed me. My eyes widened, the last thing I wanted to do was upset the powerful dragon type. “You can come over, you know,” she smiled, holding her hand out to me. I was torn. On one side, I was going to be able to stand up close to one of the dragon types that I had wanted for so long. On the other, I was being eyed by one of the dragon types that I had wanted for so long. I knew more than anyone how territorial dragons could be, and Alice was his trainer. One wrong move and I could have found myself at the end of a Dragon Breath or Hyperbeam. “It’s okay,” she whispered again, reaching out to grab my hand. 

My lips parted as a breath shot into my lungs when our fingers intertwined. My throat swallowed the thick lump in my throat, taking note of how well her hand fit in mine. When our eyes met, I knew I was done for. Anything she wanted, I would give her, just like all those years ago. The Garchomp had softly grumbled, nudging Alice’s back. I could hear her gasp as she lost her balance and fell into me. I couldn’t help the small smile that slid across my lips as I watched her turn to glare at the creature. Being able to wind my arm around her waist and hold her close was all I could have wanted. And on top of that, her Garchomp being the one to initiate it showed me that, on some level, he trusted me to take care of her. 

A chuckle vibrated through my chest as her lips opened to probably reprimand the creature. Without another thought the words, “I missed you,” had fallen from my lips and her eyes whipped up to meet mine. I could feel my skin tingle under her gaze. Had I just messed it all up? She was so still in my arms, but apparently no one told my mind that there was tension in the air since it decided to continue. “I really missed you, Allie,” my arm shifted around her waist to pull her even closer. I needed to be close to her. Those six years away from her had driven me insane.

“I missed you too, Rai,” she whispered back, lifting the weight from my chest. For a moment, we stayed in each other’s arms. For a moment we were silent as I soaked in her intoxicating presence. 

Either accidentally or on purpose, Garchomp had tapped one of her other pokeballs, a very familiar Love Ball, and a thrilling hum surrounded us. She giggled as her Flapple danced around us, landing to nuzzle my cheek. I could feel Alice step back as her Flapple flew around me. I couldn’t help but smile at the evolution she had taken. She seemed almost ecstatic to see me again, and I was thrilled to see her again too. After all, I was the one who had given her to Alice in the first place, not that I had ever told her. I couldn’t, not with the story that was linked to Applins. I loved her and her Flapple was proof. I had spent hours in the field picking the perfect one for her. I had already caught about five when I came across Eve. Most were too timid, but Eve was as much of a free spirit as Alice was. It was the perfect gift if I had only had enough courage to tell her. 

It couldn’t have been more than a minute or two before I heard a gasp. I looked over to see Alice frozen, staring at us. My smile dropped as I tried to go through what was wrong, but it all came crashing down with one word, “You.” The word fell from her throat as her eyes connected with mine. Then everything clicked. She knew. 

Shit! This wasn’t how I wanted her to find out. I tried to step forward, “Alice I-”

But her head shook and she stepped away. “You were the one- after all this time, you were the one who gave Eve to me?” I couldn't tell if she was pissed or confused or happy or even disappointed. Was she hoping someone else had given Eve to her? “Why?” 

The question made answers fly through my mind. My mouth opened, wanting to tell her the truth, but what if she was upset? What if she didn’t feel the same? What if she really preferred Mark or some other guy? My eyes shifted to the side and my hand reached out to pet Eve. “Because I-” the words stuck in my throat. No, I couldn’t tell her. My lips tightened as the words fell from my mouth. “Because I saw that you really wanted one and I knew we wouldn’t be able to leave without you getting one. So I decided to catch one for you myself.”

That answer was obviously wrong since she looked visibly torn. But why? I watched as she battled with herself. I watched as she turned back to the research station, placing her Garchomp’s ball back on the tray. 

“Well thank you. Eve is an amazing pokemon.” The words came out awkward and fast, her voice broken. I wanted to reach out and hold her again, to take it all back and tell her that I did it for her. I wanted to tell her that it hurt me to see her so sad about her lack of an Applin so I spent hours searching for one for her. I wanted to tell her I was an idiot and afraid to tell her before. I scolded myself for being such an idiot.

I could see her lips twitch into a small fake smile as she rubbed her Garchomp’s head. I heard her tell him something about playing with the others, resting her head against his. I watched as the worried pokemon closed his eyes with his trainer. My chest tightened as she turned to me. She looked so torn and confused and I couldn’t do anything to help. What could I do? I was the reason she was like this, right? “I’m, um- I’m going to see where the others are,” She quickly spoke before she turned on her heels and left for the locker rooms. 

I felt so helpless as she vanished from sight, slipping through my fingers once more. I cursed to myself, ignoring the glare that I got from both her Garchomp and her Weavile. They didn’t have to tell me how much I messed up, I already knew. Though I did fear a Fury Swipe from her Weavile as he passed me to head toward the locker rooms. 

“What the hell was that about?” Leon’s voice echoed in the stadium. I turned to see the new Chairman walking toward me. 

“She knows,” I groaned the answer, rubbing my face.

“Knows what?” Leon’s brow rose.

“She knows I gave her Eve all those years ago,” I answered again, walking to meet him.

“And she was upset by that?” he more questioned himself. “I thought she would have been thrilled.”

“Not with my major fuck up,” I groaned, rubbing my temples. 

“What did you do?” he sighed.

“I basically told her that I did it so we could move on to train more,” I winced. Now that I heard it out loud, I got how bad it was. 

“You what?” Leon’s eyes widened as his arms crossed over his chest. “Rai, what the hell? Why didn’t you tell her the truth?”

“Because I was scared, just like all those years ago,” my arms flew out to the side. “She doesn’t like me like that and if she did then, well, she doesn’t now because I’ve made a complete ass out of myself.” 

“You’re right about that,” he mumbled, his eyes narrowing on me. “Dude, you have to tell her the truth. If you don’t, you’ll really lose her.”

“I will, I just-” I trailed off, rubbing the back of my neck when Leon’s eyes caught something behind me. I turned to see Alice walking out of the tunnel with her Weavile by her side. 

“Sonia said she’ll be here in a few,” she spoke, holding her phone up. Both Leon and I stared at her as if she grew another head. One moment, tears were about to break from her eyes, the next, she seemed fine. It was like nothing had happened. She grinned as she spoke again, “Surprised to see you here on time, Leon,” she teased our purple-haired friend. 

Leon chuckled in almost relief. “A hangover won’t stop me from seeing you all practice.”

“Not gonna jump in with Charizard?” she questioned, leaning on one side as she smiled. 

“Not today,” he responded, his arms crossing over his chest. 

I couldn’t take my eyes off of her as she nodded, her hair swaying behind her. “Whatever you think is best, Leon. But I still want a rematch,” she challenged. “But before that, Raihan here has promised me a battle,” her eyes slid over to where I stood, completely frozen. My lips parted as If I was going to respond, but I couldn’t. No words came out and no movement was made, save for my arms falling to my sides. 

What was she thinking? What had Sonia told her back there? Had she finally realized how much better than me she was? I had only seen her surrounded by that much strength and confidence on certain occasions. One was whenever she was serious about a battle. The other was when she tried to act as nothing bothered her; that reason usually came when another trainer tried to put her down or belittle her. 

I was so wrapped up in my thoughts that I hadn’t noticed that she had moved to the center of the field. “I’m ready when you are, Rai,” her confidence shown through. I watched as both Eve and her Garchomp went to her side, but she just gave them a soft smile, telling them that she couldn’t use them in the battle (as if that was what they were worried about), and to watch from the sidelines. I watched as they both went to the side, Yuki and her Weavile taking their places. Yuki had cooed happily at whatever Alice had said, and her Weavile had looked ready for anything. They were ready, and yet, Leon and I still stood where we were, watching the Ice leader. “We gonna battle or not?” her head lifted. We still didn’t move. What the hell had happened in that locker room? “Guys?” she spoke again. 

“Sorry, it’s just- are you okay?” Leon stepped forward, his brows furrowing. 

“Never better,” she answered, but I could tell she was lying. Her lips had twitched and you could see her pause before she answered, even for a split second. 

My eyes were quick to look to the side as my head shook. Well if she wanted to act strong, then who was I to doubt that? I would give her one hell of a battle. A grin split across my lips when I looked back at her, taking my place in the center of the field with her. 

“Ready?” she questioned. I nodded, taking Turtonator’s ball off my belt. “Good. Loki, let’s do this,” she called out, her Weavile taking his stance. 

“Let’s go Turtonator,” I called out, tossing the ball in the air. 

“Alright, let’s make this a clean battle. Three on three, no potions or items unless the Pokemon is already holding one. Understood?“ Leon's voice boomed. We both nodded, my eyes never leaving her. “Then let's battle,” he called out, quickly jogging off the field.

She was a storm to be reckoned with. Then again, she always had been. Once she had a goal in her sights, she went for it full force, but she made it look so easy. With her grace and beauty combined with her Weavile’s power and fierceness, they had taken down my Turtonator. Not even once had they been caught by my Shell Trap. 

“You’ve gotten better, I admit, but this is far from over,” I had to proclaim. Though my grin dropped when I threw, realizing too late where he was headed. 

Alice had squealed and Fly grabbed her and flew in the air, spinning happily. His name came out of her lips with a soft laugh and I glared at the creature. “Flygon, no,” I tried to reprimand him, but he seemed all too happy with himself. When he set her on the ground, Alice had told him something that made him coo and dance as he flew back to me. I tried to apologize for the ridiculous Flygon, but she only laughed, telling me that she knew how he was and should have expected it. 

I had to smile at that. My pokemon loved her and it warmed my heart knowing that she loved them too, or at least the playful Flygon that landed between us. I noticed when her lips seemed to falter as her eyes caught mine, but she played it off. “Alright, let's get back to the battle, shall we?” 

The next pokemon she sent out was Raph, her Abomasnow. It was interesting putting the brick wall that was Raph against Fly. If I remembered, Raph had yet to beat Fly during one of our battles since Flygon was faster. It would be interesting to see how this ended up. 

Like I had guessed, Raph was no use against Fly. He had gotten stronger, lasting longer than he had before. But in the end, Fly’s Steel Wing was too much. I watched as she exhaled and closed her eyes, calling her pokemon back. 

“One, one,” I grinned, trying to get her fire back. It worked. Her eyes snapped up to meet mine and I could see the pure determination in them. 

“Maybe, but this will be done soon. Loki, let’s take this battle back.” Her Weavile seemed to grin as he happily went back onto the field. Once again the battle was on, but it wasn’t long till Weavile had gained the upper hand and Fly went down. She _had_ gotten better. I was so wrapped up in looking down at Fly’s Pokeball that I hadn’t noticed that the other leaders had filed in to watch us.

“You okay there, Rai?” I heard her playful voice grin. 

“Never better,” a growl vibrated in my chest as my lips split into a grin, baring my teeth. My hands traveled through my hair. This was a real battle. It almost felt like we were kids again, no stakes between us, just a good rivalry. 

“Aw come on, Raihan, fair and square, right?” she teased with a playful pout. I couldn’t help but grin at that. She seemed so carefree now and couldn't have been more beautiful. Her beauty and her strength always had a way of messing with me. 

As I called Fly back and hooked his ball to my belt, switching it with my next choice, Alice had sent out Yuki as her final pokemon. I couldn’t help but wonder if that was good or bad. 

"Ready, Raihan?” She looked up at me. 

“As I’ll ever be, Allie,” I grinned, trying to get her off her game if even a little. I could see her swallow thickly as her body tensed. It was a small victory and I grinned wider. I knew that calling her that always got her off her game. Though, curiously, if anyone else did it, it wouldn’t work. 

Yuki had cooed at her, reminding her trainer of the battle, and Alice nodded. She had said something to her pokemon before she looked up at me. We both nodded and began. To my surprise, Alice still used Yuki’s ice to cover the ground, making it easier for the eeveeloution to skate around. To some, it may have been childish to have her pokemon dance, but it was her signature move. 

Once again, I was left shocked. After a powerful Hyper Beam, my Duraludon was down for the count. Yuki had gotten stronger and faster in the past years. Not only did she skate on the ice with ease, but she had managed to break out of Duraludon’s grasp while turning it against him. I was frozen. I hadn’t expected an easy win, but I hadn’t expected _that_. I had barely registered when Leon had proclaimed her had the winner or the cheers around us. All I could focus on was the woman before me. This was a woman that could give Gloria a run for her money. How she lost to Leon at the semi-finals, I still didn’t know. 

I had to blink a few times as she made her way over to me. My head shook before I drew Duro back into his ball. 

“Good fight,” she held my hand out. I eyed it, then huffed with a shake of my head, taking her hand. 

“You surprised me. Didn't think you would be this strong after all this time.” I admitted. Maybe next time I wouldn’t underestimate her. 

“You saw me battle Bede at the picnic,” she pointed out, her arms crossing over her chest as she leaned to one side. 

“Yeah, but that’s a 5th level gym compared to me,” I lightly growled. 

“A bit cocky, aren’t we?” she chuckled.

“That shouldn’t surprise you?” I sighed. “You should know me better than that.” 

Her smirk faded and her arms dropped to her sides. “I guess today is just full of surprises for me,” she poked before a scream echoed around us. Was it just me or was she not talking about the battle anymore? 

Within seconds, Madison had clung to Alice, asking her to show her her moves. My jaw tightened as her eyes met Mark’s and I had to look away. I had to find something to get my mind off of them. Luckily Leon and Kabu were the perfect escape. They had both congratulated me on how my pokemon looked, and Leon had said something about underestimating her. I couldn’t help but agree as I rubbed the back of my neck. 

When my eyes traveled over to the Ice leader, she was stuck in a conversation with Bede and Gloria. And after that, Sonia and Hop had pulled Mark, Madison and Alice over to the lab station. Sonia seemed too happy to research non-Galarian pokemon. As time passed and us trainers were pulled in for practice, I could see Leon flirting with Sonia on the side-lines, making Hop almost gag. We were all happy about the two finally getting together, Hop more than most probably, but I couldn’t help but laugh at how lovey-dovey they were now. It almost made me wish I could have that with Alice. If only I could turn back the clock and tell her the truth. Maybe she would have been happy like Leon thought, or maybe she would have turned me down. 

During lunch, I tried to sit closer to them, but Bea and Alister had pulled me to the side to talk about one thing or another. It had barely mattered when my eyes kept looking for Alice.

When training was over and all of the other leaders had left, Leon had stayed, leaning against the sidewall as I cleaned up. My brow rose as I walked up to him. 

“What’s up, former Champ?” I tossed my bag over my shoulder.

“She overheard us, you know.” His expression was a mixture of worry and seriousness.

My eyes narrowed as my brows knit together. “Who heard what?” I had to question.

He sighed. “Do you remember that talk we had before the 8th gym? When I asked you about your feelings about Alice?” I nodded. “Well, apparently she wasn’t asleep like we thought and heard some of it. Mainly how you see her as only a friend.”

I cursed, my bag falling to the floor. “She really-?” he nodded. “Shit, no wonder why she doesn’t like me.” Was that why she left though? No, Allie wasn’t like that. She would have confronted me before running off. Something else had to have happened.

“She doesn’t not like you,” Leon’s brow rose.

“Gee, that makes me feel so much better,” my eyes rolled as my head shook. “Leon, why do I feel like there’s something we’re not seeing?" He shrugged. "I mean, she left without even a goodbye, never sent me any letters-”

“Even though you never sent her any,” Leon pointed out. 

I gave him a slight glare before continuing. “But her overhearing something like that wouldn’t have made her leave, especially since she seemed fine after that and before the tournament. So why do I feel like there’s something missing?”

“Maybe you just need to talk to her,” he suggested.


	3. The Banquet of Heartbreak

Unfortunately, I didn’t have another moment alone with her after that day. The week of practice had come and gone with discussions and training for both our pokemon and us. By the end of Kabu's intense training regiment, my whole body felt like it was going to fall apart. I didn’t even know how long I sat in the Gym’s sauna relaxing my muscles and piecing words together for the next time I saw her. I had hoped that I could take her out for a drink or a quick bite before she left, but she was gone early the next morning. I watched as she got in the Corvinight Taxi with an overly excited Melony by her side, any chances of speaking with her flying away with the beat of the bird pokemon's wings. It wasn’t until the banquet that I could see her next. 

Like all the previous years, we Gym Leaders lined up at the door, but the new gym leaders were nowhere to be seen. Apparently Leon thought it would be a good idea to introduce Gloria, then each gym leader, then the gym leader that would be stepping down would introduce their replacement. I hadn’t paid much attention after Mark and Madison had entered with Kabu’s words of kindness, only looking out into the crowd, looking over the same politicians and company owners that would be hounding us after dinner. I almost missed when Melony had stood at the bottom of the steps, calling Alice’s name.

My heart stopped as my eyes landed on the beauty that had entered the room. Her hair was lightly curled and her makeup complimented her eyes. The light blue dress that flowed behind her as she walked down each step showed her grace and beauty, but the way she held her shoulders back and her head up showed her power. Her lips were split into a smile that made my cheeks heat, but her eyes held a hit of fear. Not many would have noticed, but I did. She always had that look on her face when she was in front of a big crowd, whether it be before a battle or whenever the reporters would shove their cameras in our faces. But she never had anything to worry about. 

I had been so entranced by her that I had barely registered when Nessa had bumped my shoulder, snickering beside me. 

“I remember going home after her battle with me and telling Adam that, if none of our kids want to follow in my footsteps, then I’m going to take her under my wing," I could see Alice softly laugh, lowering her head as we listened to Melony. “And now, here we are, six years later, welcoming her into our gym family. I know that she will awe and inspire you as she has done for me.”

There was applause as Melony hugged Alice, only to pull back to pin the official Circhester Gym Leader pendant on her. Alice leaned down once more, whispering something to the white-haired mother, a gracious smile easing the tension that she once held. My eyes followed her as she took her place with the rest of us, Gym leaders. I found myself wanting her to stand beside me and not the other new leaders. Not Bede, not Mark, only me. 

“And now a dance,” Leon’s voice boomed as he held his hand out to Sonia, who gladly accepted with a blush.

I felt my stomach tighten when Mark turned toward her, but let out a soft breath when Bea had quickly grabbed his hand instead, dragging him to the dance floor. I had to remember to thank her later, but now, I had a question to ask. 

She seemed shocked when I spoke, holding my hand out toward her. My heart leaped when she nodded and took my hand. Had it always felt so right in mine? Either way, I couldn’t take my eyes off of her. And it wasn’t just her hand that felt good in mine. As I wound my arm around her slim waist, pulling her close to me, I couldn’t help but notice the electric pulses that ran through my veins at her touch. I couldn’t take my eyes off of her, not that I wanted to. 

“You look beautiful,” the words came out in a whisper. 

“Thank you,” she responded equally as soft, her eyes falling to the side. I knew that look, she didn’t believe me.

With a deep breath and a squeeze of her hand to get her attention, I told her again, "I mean it, Alice. You look stunning tonight, always have."

“Thank you,” she repeated softly.

I could feel my lips turning up, my eyes flicking down to her new pendant. “Looks good on you."

A soft laugh escaped her lips, turning into a sweet smirk. "I guess it means that you'll be seeing more of me."

I hoped so. “I look forward to taking you down, now that I know your pokemon and strategies,” I teased her.

Her brow rose as she shook her head. "Rai, you didn't beat me at all during practice, what makes you think that you'll beat me next time?"

“I came close that last time," I softly laughed. "Next time, I'll take you down for sure."

She hummed and I could feel my chest heating. "You took Majesty and Yuki down with lucky shots, but there's no way that you'll beat me next time." That was true. She was a strong opponent, always had been. She could have easily won against Leon and taken the Champion Title. She was a force to be reckoned with, but I couldn’t let her know that.

“Yeah, well, next time I won't be distracted," I promised.

She laughed and I could feel my stomach bubble. "And what, pray tell, distracted the great and mighty Dragon Master?" Did she not know?

“You,” the one-worded answer fell from my lips. Each move she made, every time her voice caught my ear, I was thrown off. I could see her grin fall under my gaze, so I continued. “You grew up a lot during your travels. I'm just sorry I couldn't be there.” There were so many nights where I had wished I could have followed her, and even more where I cursed myself for not. 

Her curls flowed as her head softly shook, her brows knitting together. “You couldn't," she weakly began. “I had to do some of it alone. Though it was nice hearing from the others once in a while, I knew I had to retain a certain independence. But let's not talk about that right now." 

As much as I wanted to not leave it be, as much as I wanted to talk to her about her travels and her pokemon and anything under the sun, I didn’t. She didn’t want to, so I respected that. 

Soon enough, the music changed and I led her to the head table where the others had begun to take their own spots. On one side, we had Milo, Nessa, Mark, Madison, and Bea. Gloria sat at the center and poor Alister was stuck between her and a slightly grumpy Bede. Marnie sat on Bede's left, which left Alice between the new dark leader and me. 

A few dozen circular tables, each holding 10 people, sat around the large dancefloor. While Melony and her husband were at one table with Gordie, Kabu, Opal, and Piers, Sonia was at another table with Leon and Hop. Beside Leon were all of the other regional champions; Kukui, Diantha, Cynthia, Iris, and all of the other Champions. They had come like every other year. 

“So who's the bloke that Hop seems to be interested in?" Marnie asked, following my line of sight.

"That would be Lance, the Johto Champion," I explained with a smile on my lips. Lance had always been an interesting character. Of course, being a Dragon Trainer myself, I loved talking with him. He and his Dragonites were unbeatable and wickedly famous. "He's the only Champion to use all one type. His Dragonite is one of the best, and so is he."

“Yeah, and a pain in my rear," I heard Alice mumble into her drink. The words were so simple, yet they shot right through me, making my lips falter. 

"You know him?" Marine questioned.

She nodded. "When I first started traveling, I went to Johto. We ran into each other as I was healing my pokemon in Blackthorn City, and he followed me for about a week before his cousin Clair _literally_ dragged him back to do his Champion duties." Shit, Lance had his eye on her? No, he couldn’t- he couldn’t have her. Alice was mine. 

“So he fancies you?" Marnie slightly grinned.

I could hear her chuckle. There was a lightness to it, yet there was something more. Annoyance, perhaps? "Way back when, yeah. But I highly doubt he still does." Did that mean she wanted him to be interested? Did she like him? 

Nothing more was said about the topic before the food was served. Dinner itself had gone the way it usually did. There was small talk between us, and I gave warnings about the Council members and other government officials that would want to twist words. Some were still good and kind, others were sharpedoes circling around their prey. The Hammerlocke Mayor was one of the sharpedoes.

“So what did you do to piss her off?” Alice questioned with a soft laugh, her brow raising. 

“Turned down a date with her,” I sighed heavily.

“You turned her down?” Marnie gawked. “But she’s supposed to be smart and sweet and beautiful. Thought that would be your type,” Marnie gasped. 

Sweet? Yeah right. I had always known that Scarlett had her eyes on me, ever since our trials, but I never paid her much mind since I was mainly focussed on Battling and Alice. But when Alice left, it all went downhill. Scarlett had helped get me connections to the Hammerlock Gym and she, herself, used her own connections to become a secretary for the Gym. For a year, I had to deal with her. Then I fired her after she had used her pokemon to inflict pain on my trainers, torturing them and using them. After that, she became the Mayor...somehow. Then her real colors showed as clear as day. She was manipulative and vile and cared for no one but herself. 

“Yeah, but Scarlet wasn’t my type,” I replied, thinking of a certain Ice leader that sat beside me. I almost missed how her hand tightened around her drink, pausing at her lips, and I almost missed how her hand gently went to her stomach. My mind wondered why she looked almost uncomfortable. Sadly, I couldn’t ask or talk to her more before Mark had snuck behind us, offering her a dance. My fists tightened at my side at how she almost seemed relieved at his intrusion. 

I watched as he led her to the dancefloor, their hands laced together. My jaw tightened at how relaxed she seemed with him. My eyes narrowed on the two as my back fell against my chair. I barely registered Marnie’s snicker and her comment of how I should have been faster. I couldn’t help but agree. I should have been faster. I should have been the one to ask her to dance, to pull her to the dancefloor, and hold her close. I wanted to hold her again, to feel her pressed against me, to look down in her eyes and hear her laugh. But I wasn’t fast enough, and I was beginning to think that I would never be. I could see her cheeks light up as Mark talked, grinned, and laughed. 

“Come on, grump,” Nessa was the one to pull me from my thoughts, her grip on my arm tightening as she pulled me toward the one thing that could have been worse than watching the woman I loved dance with another, the press. And with them came the ever so venomous Mayor of Hammerlocke. It was the same old same old. She faked a laugh and I had to plaster on my infamous grin, trying to show everyone a united front, even when there was none. When she spoke, I had to laugh, I had to act like nothing bothered me. 

Every once in a while, my eyes would catch Alice. At some point, she had separated from the Fire leader, looking almost angelic as she looked out the window. When the Circhester Mayor approached her, I could see her smile grow to a glowing beauty, the older man talking to her about one thing or another. My lips twitched into a genuine smile as I watched how her grace equaled her power. I had been so entranced by her beauty that I had missed whatever Scarlett had been saying. 

“Raihan, are you even listening to me?” My lips faltered into a fake smile as I turned back to the Sharpedoe...or was she a Seviper? No, both would be offensive to the pokemon. 

“No, sorry I was-”

“Distracted by a little Snorunt?” Her blood-red lips had a smile plastered on them, but I could see the venom through her words. 

“Why does it matter?” I shot back.

“Well, we can’t have you distracted by a little nobody when this season is going to be so big.” My eyes narrowed on her and my fake smile fell to a snarl. Images be damned, she would not talk about Alice that way. “You are still the strongest leader and we’re going to keep you that way. No one will stand in our way.” 

“Scarlett, you know as well as I do that you do not rule my life. When it comes to battling, I give my all no matter what. You don’t have to worry about that. What you should worry about is your own skin if you ever talk about her like that again,” I growled.

“Still in love with her, Rai-Rai?” her lips spread into a childish smirk. “Looks like she doesn’t feel the same.” My eyes followed her manicured nails and my chest was shot yet again. There, across the room, I could see Lance snake his arm around her waist. My fists tightened as I saw his smirk spread. “Aw, little Rai-Rai has some competition,” a venomous voice spoke in my ear, but I didn’t pay her much attention. All I could see was the little amount of annoyance that she may have had for him fade to a smirk, then to a laugh. “They look good together, don't you think?” she purred in my ear, trying to slink her arms around my shoulders. My eyes remained on Alice and Lance, but I pushed Scarlett off of me. It hurt, but even I had to admit that they looked good together. 

My mind tried to remind me that I would look better- be better for her, but it was clear that I lost my chance. At least I wasn’t the only jealous one. I almost smirked at how quickly Mark had joined them, clearly trying to get in between them. Then he led Alice to dance once more after Lance had left. For the next hour, I watched as she danced with Mark and Lance, Leon, Gordie, Hop, Bede, and everyone but me. My chest hurt and my hands itched to hold her again, but I couldn’t. It seemed like everyone wanted to talk to me about one thing or another. And I couldn’t exactly tell reporters and Government Officials to sod off? Could I?

It didn’t matter because the next thing I knew, she was running out the front door with her lips trembling and her hands fisted at her side. “Would you excuse me?” I quickly told the last reporter before taking off after her. She was upset, I knew that much. 

My shoes echoed on the stone flooring as I ran toward her. My voice called out her name as I rounded the corner. I watched as her gown came to a stop, but I didn’t stop until I stood in front of her. “Alice, what’s wrong?”

“Not feeling well,” she quickly replied, but we both knew it wasn’t true. Something was bothering her. 

“Bull,” I called her out with a soft laugh, running my hand through my hair. “I think I know you better than that,” I continued, reaching out to her. “What’s wrong?”

“I just have to go,” she told him.

“No you don’t,” my head shook. “Just- give me one more dance,” I pleaded. That’s all I wanted. If we danced, I could get her to open up. I could show everyone in that room who Alice really belonged to. I needed just one more dance with her. I needed to know what hurt her. 

“Raihan, I can't go back in there,” her eyes seemed to beg. So innocently pleading. 

“Why?” the word fell from my lips. “Is it because of something Lance said?” I knew it was near impossible since he was far from the last person she talked to. Whatever he said couldn’t have affected her this late. 

She huffed and shook her head. “It wasn’t Lance,” she snapped. My mouth fell open and I jerked back, my hand falling from her arm to my side. Even though she said it wasn't I could still see the pain and frustration in her eyes. Lance had clearly said something to upset her, right? He was the last one I saw her with. 

“What did he say to you?” I growled. I didn’t care if he was a champion or not, if he hurt her, I would kill him myself. 

Again, she chuckled, now rubbing her temples. “He didn’t say anything that would concern you.” Didn’t concern me? How could it not if I knew it hurt her? “Now, thank you for checking up on me, but I have to go.” She started to turn, but I caught her arm again. Why did she not want to tell me? Did she not trust me? 

“Why are you ignoring me? What are you avoiding?” The questions shot from my lips before I could stop them. 

Her laugh darkened as she tore her arm away from me. “I’m not that one who’s been ignoring the other. You literally took off on Fly after you saw me that first day, then you avoided me during the picnic and the club.”

“I’m not the one who left without a goodbye,” I shot back. 

“We said what we needed to before I left,” she tried to counter, but it made no sense to me. 

The last thing we had talked about was how far we had all come and how one of us would be the new Champion in the end. 

“You may have, but I still wanted to tell you so many things.” I wanted to tell her how much she meant to me, how much I wanted to go with her. If I could have caught her, I would have begged her to stay. “You left me. I mean, I knew you were mad at me for something, but I thought you had gotten over it. And now you’re back and it seems like you can only be near me for a small amount of time.”

“Again, I’m not the one who’s been ignoring you. I tried to call and message that first year, but you never picked up. You never responded. I had thought you hated me.” Messaged me? I never once got a text or letter from her. “And then I come here and you bolt at the first sight of me. What do you think I’m supposed to believe?” How could she not know how much it hurt when she left? How distraught I was for months? The woman I loved had left without a word. Then again, she did start to push away from me before that. Though I thought that was all mended. “You pushed me away long before I left.” 

My eyes narrowed as I took a step closer to her. “Oh yeah, what about when you ignored me way back when? Wasn’t that you pushing me away?” 

"That's not the same thing and you know it," she growled.

"Oh yeah? How is it any different from you ignoring me back then?" I challenged.

"Because I didn't ghost you for 6 years," she shouted, and it was like another shot to my heart. It hurt because it was true. I knew I should have contacted her at one point or another, but no message I ever typed out or letter I wrote was ever good enough. What could I say? I didn’t even know if she wanted to be contacted. Her head shook as she took in a deep breath. "Yeah, I ignored you for a day after I found out about you and Scarlet, but I got over it. You know why? Because I realized that having you as a friend was better than not having you in my life at all." Wait, Scarlett and I? What was she talking about? Did she mean how Scarlett clung to me even when I didn’t want her to? Did she think that Scarlett and I were-

I almost missed her leave, a quiet "Goodbye Raihan," falling from her lips before she left me. 

I wanted to go after her, do what I couldn’t have done back then, but I couldn’t. I was frozen. I watched as she vanished into the night. My breath was stuck in my throat and my knees shook, falling to the floor. She was gone. She had left me yet again, and I couldn’t do anything. I was losing her. Or was she already lost? 

I didn’t even know how much time passed before Leon found me, a million questions on the tip of his tongue. But the only thing that mattered was that she was gone. Of course, after I told Leon, he told Nessa, Sonia, and Bea and they took off to check on her, to comfort her as I could never do. 


	4. Interview of a Heart

For weeks, there was nothing. No word from Alice or the other girls. No word from Leon. Weeks of waiting, weeks of training and judging the new trainers, giving letters of recommendation, and dealing with Scarlett’s constant presence. Tortuous weeks of living without her once again. I had already gone through that once and I couldn’t go through that again. I was so relieved when the interview came around. Then I knew I would be able to see her, talk to her. Even if she didn’t want to talk to me, I wanted to tell her how I still felt about her.

My breath caught in my throat as my eyes landed on her. Even in a plain, light blue blouse, black skirt, and heels, she was still gorgeous beyond compare. I could see the small smile on her lips fade as Nessa and Bea walked away to talk to Marnie and Bede. Her hands clenched and unclenched before they settled for smoothing her black pencil skirt down. 

A small smile cracked on my own lips as I walked over to her, my hands stuffing in my pockets. “Don’t worry, you’ll do fine,” I assured her. Her eyes snapped to meet mine and her lips parted. 

“Stagefright, remember?” her lips quirked up slightly. I remembered all too well all of those times I had to pep her up for a battle. 

“Yeah, but you always got over that fear during battles,” I reminded her, remembering how tall she always held herself once on the field. This would be no different.“I’ll be beside you the whole time,” I promised. Her lips parted to say something more, but she stopped, Leon's voice coming from the stage to introduce us one by one. 

The questions were some of the same I had answered in previous years, starting out tame with our first pokemon and who gave us our letters, how we trained then vs now, and other quick questions. Then, as I expected, they started to become heavier. Alice had to say why she chose to become an Ice leader over a Fire leader, nothing too bad. Then one of the Circhester reporters caught me off guard. 

“Who do you think is the best looking Gym leader this year?” Mark had joked about how she was trying to cause a rift, but I still couldn't help but be stuck on the question myself. I knew, hands down, Alice would be my choice, but would I be hers? 

“I guess I would have to say Nessa,” Mark answered, looking over at the Water leaders. 

“Same,” Milo chimed in. I grinned, knowing full well the feelings Milo held for Nessa, and vice versa. As proven by her own flirtatious answer that Milo was the cutest. 

“Well, if we’re really getting into this, I’m going to have to say, Mark,” Bea chimed in with a chuckle. One after another, we answered, Marnie’s being me, shockingly. My head shook as Bede announced that Alice was his choice. I knew he meant no harm by it, especially since he had feelings for our Champ, so I let him off easy. 

“Flattered,” she shot back with a playful wink. “As for me,” she paused and my heartbeat rapidly, hoping that my name would fall from her delicate lips. “I think I would have to agree with Mark and Milo, Nessa is a model after all.” 

That shocked me. Nessa? Maybe she was playing it safe? At least it wasn’t Mark. A chuckle left my throat as I tried to argue. “Hey hey hey, I’m a model too.”

“Yeah for social media,” Nessa teased. “And what about you, Rai?” she grinned with a challenge, knowing full well what my answer would be.

And I had never backed down from one of her challenges yet. I merely rolled my eyes before leaning forward to answer. “I’d have to say Alice here,” my eyes caught Alice’s and I smirked at how her lips parted. It was almost amusing when she called me a flirt. 

“Alright, how about another question?” Leon laughed on the side. 

“This is also for all of the gym leaders. What would you tell any new trainers?” Once again, we went down the line, each of us answering as best as we could. “And you, Alice?”

“Have fun,” she simply answered. “Many trainers only have one chance, so make the most out of it. I may not have initially wanted to do the challenge, but when I did, I had the time of my life. Training and hanging out with friends, the rush of catching your first pokemon, and winning your first battle, I wouldn’t trade any of it for the world. And maybe battling isn’t for you, and that’s okay. I know plenty of people that dropped out because they found something they loved more, but they stayed with their friends till the end and ended up still having a great time. So I think my one piece of advice would be to have fun.”

“And on the opposite side, my piece of advice would be to never quit,” I gave my answer after a moment of silence. “No matter how hard training or the battles seem,” No matter how helpless you might feel when it comes to love, “never give up.” My eyes pinned on Alice as I continued. “If it’s important enough, never stop fighting for it.” She was important enough and I would never give up unless she ordered me away. 

There were a few other questions that brought in our pokemon teams, our gyms, and other professional things, but once a reporter had asked Madison about her relationship status and Mark responded with, “she’s too young,” the can of worms was blown wide open. Suddenly, we were being questioned about previous battles, rivalries (specifically Bede’s with Gloria and Hop), and old flames. It was odd sitting beside the woman of my dreams as I was questioned about all of his fans and even the Demon Mayor of Hammerlocke. 

“Mayor Scarlet and I are only friends, nothing more,” I answered swiftly. 

“And what about you, Alice? Any special someone in your life?” a reporter asked. 

“Not at this moment,” she answered. No one? No Mark or Lance? No Leon? 

“Oh come now,” an older woman grinned, notepad in hand. “Melony had said during her banquet speech that you traveled with Leon and Raihan, you can’t tell us that there is nothing between any of you. And what of Champion Lance or Mark? Sources report seeing the two of you at a club together.” I could see her tense, but she remained calm. 

“As I said, there’s no one in my life at the moment. Lance is an acquaintance that I met on my travels, and Leon is like a brother to me. And that source of yours must have also reported that it was all of us leaders at the club that night.”

“Yes, but you two were seen alone, outside,” she pestered.

“I can answer that,” Mark interrupted. Of course, he would come to her defense. “Alice was having a panic attack and I followed to make sure she was okay. Then we talked to each other for a few minutes and she left. There’s nothing to your story besides that.” Panic attack? Why? What caused it? What made her so upset? If that was what happened, did that mean that Mark had only been protecting her as he would protect Maddison? “Alice and I are only friends,” Mark sternly finished. 

“Is that because you each have someone that already has your eye?” the same older woman questioned. I was starting to really not like her. Why was she digging so much into this? Part of me wanted Alice to answer the questions, but I knew she was beginning to be uncomfortable. “Alice, was that why you left in the first place? Was it an unrequited love or were you too upset about your loss against Leon?”

A huff escaped her lips as she forced a smile. “I’m not upset about my loss to Leon. He earned it through hard work and dedication. I left him an opening and he took it. I left because of personal reasons.” Bull, she left an opening for some reason and he took advantage of it. Alice was off her game during that battle, all of our friends could see that. But why? I had seen her smiling just before they went on the pitch. What got her off her game? Did she realize that Leon was in love with Sonia and not her? 

“Do you ever regret leaving?” someone from the audience quickly asked.

“Sometimes,” she answered. “I missed a lot when I was traveling, but if I didn't leave, I wouldn’t be the trainer that I am today. I wouldn't have met the amazing people that I did and I wouldn’t have caught the pokemon that I have today, such as my Aurorus and Garchomp.”

“But what about the banquet?” the older reporter questioned. “You seemed very comfortable dancing with Raihan and Lance, and you even danced with Mark multiple times. How do you explain that?” Arceus above, was that the same woman? Why did it matter?

My lips parted to speak, but she spoke up first. “If you also remember, I danced with practically every other guy there, as did many others. It was, after all, a dance. And like I said, I may have looked more comfortable dancing with Lance, Mark, and Raihan because they’re all close friends of mine,” she paused. Was I still a close friend of hers? “That’s all,” she finished. Cameras flashed and reporters once again talked over one another. My eyes pinned on the older woman, who seemed smug for some reason. With a breath, Alice held her hand up. "That’s all I’m going to answer on that subject.”

“Seems like you’re hiding something,” the older woman grinned, her pen to her pad. 

“I have nothing to hide,” Alice spoke, but did she? “Anything else, ma’am?” The older woman stayed silent. A small smile spread across my lips at her defeat. My girl was not to be messed with, that much was clear as day. 

“Alice, is it true that you beat Raihan in a battle?” a young Circhester reporter spoke up. 

Finally, another battle question. I couldn't help but snort, a grin spreading across my face. “Wiped the floor with me the first time we battled at practice,” I admitted, my eyes catching hers, making her smirk. “But come finals, I won't lose,” I promised.

“Isn't that what you told Leon all those years? And yet you never beat him,” she teased back, a glint in her eye. It made my chest lighten when I could see her smile. 

Luckily, the rest of the interview went smoothly. There were a few more questions about our gyms and battle strategies. There was a question on if Gordie was going to go back to the Circhester Gym, as well the non-regional pokemon that Mark, Maddison, and Alice had collected.

“And what about Kabu, Piers, Opal, and Melony? Will they still be assisting with the gyms this year?” one reporter asked. 

“I believe that all four will still be there to help us, if the time ever comes that we need them,” Mark answered. 

“Speak for yourself,” Marnie grumbled. “Piers is leaving it up for me to figure out.” 

“Aw, don't worry, Bea, and I will be here to help,” Nessa chimed in, giving Marnie a grin. 

“Sounds like trouble,” I joked, knowing fully well how much they would go out of their way to help Marnie. 

“Oh shush,” Bea leaned over to hit my arm. 

“Okay,” Leon chimed in with a laugh. “It’s almost time to wrap up, so are there any more questions?” Hands shot up as cameras flashed. Leon only nodded before pointing to a young male in the crowd. 

“Alice, my sources say that you have a Flapple, which evolved from an Applin. Did you catch it yourself or was it a gift from someone special?” My stomach twisted. Shit, I was not prepared for them to question her about it. Again, I was prepared to step in and shoot the question down for her, but Leon beat me. 

“I believe that Alice has made herself clear-” Leon began.

“No, it’s okay, Leon,” Alice stopped him. My eyes were glued to her as she continued. Would she tell everyone it was from me? If so, that would surely cause people to couple us together, but would that really be bad? I mean, I knew I wanted to be with her, but did she want to be with me? “I did actually receive Applin from another person, but there was nothing romantic about the gesture.” My body tensed. _Nothing Romantic_ were her words. Did she really see it like that? Then again, I was the one that told her that it meant nothing. But it still meant something. It meant everything. It was a love confession for me, but I guess it really was nothing for her. 

After that, Leon had thanked everyone for coming but told them that Opal, Piers, Melony, and Kabu would be on the stage soon. “We have an Opening ceremony to get to, after all,” he gave his charming smile. I wanted to pull her aside and ask her so many questions, but the moment her feet hit the carpeted floor behind the curtain, she was enveloped by one of Melony’s hugs. I only shook my head and walked the other direction. 

“Tough Interview, huh?” Leon slapped my shoulder. 

“Tell me about it,” I huffed. “They were really laying into Alice about her love life.”

“Yeah, but you can't deny that some of those answers made you happy.”

My brows rose as I stared at him. “What? Why would I be happy with her being uncomfortable?”

“Not that part,” he shook his head. “More of knowing that she’s still single and there’s no one special in her life.”

“Yeah, including me,” I shot back with an unamused look. 

“Just saying that you still have a chance, even after all of your mess-ups,” he clasped my shoulder again. “Anyway, we gotta head down in a few,” he quickly said before walking over to the woman in question. 

He said that I have a chance, but do I really? Did Alice like me like I did her? But if she did, why did she leave? Why not tell me? So many questions ran through my mind. She never did answer why she left. My head shook. I couldn’t think of that now. We had a ceremony to get to. 

“Yo, Lee, what’s up?” I called out as I walked up to them. “Shouldn’t we be heading downstairs to get ready?”

"Oh yeah," Leon agreed, looking down at his watch. "Tell you what, you two go ahead, I need to talk to the others about something," Leon offered. I could see Alice’s brows rise as she leaned to one side, as convinced as I was. "Don't worry, we'll be down in a few." He promised, but all that meant was that he was up to something.

"What are you planning?" Alice accused.

"Me, planning something? I could never," he chuckled, and he was right. Leon couldn’t plan a thing if his life depended on it. 

"Okay, so what is Sonia planning?" I clarified. 

Leon sighed, raking a hand through his hair. "Okay, okay, Sonia was planning on ambushing you two about how you skirted around certain questions. Nessa is holding her back for now, but you two should probably leave before she finds you." Alice’s eyes narrowed, but she sighed, shaking her head. 

"You're a terrible liar," she spoke before walking away. For a moment, I wondered what she was thinking, but I decided not to ask, especially since she was already around the corner. I barely squeezed through the doors before they closed. 

I sighed, leaning against the wall. "We're being set up, aren't we?" My head was tilted up to the ceiling. 

"Yup," she plainly responded.

"So why are we just gonna take it?" my brow rose as I looked down at her. 

"Because it's Sonia and there's no way to avoid her plans," she turned to face me, our eyes meeting. I nodded. It was true, there was no way out of Sonia’s plans once they’re set in place. 

My heart thumped in my chest as my fingers itched to reach over and hold her, or hold her hand at least. 50, 49, 48. We passed floor by floor and I was almost about to thank Arceus when the elevator came to a jerking halt: Floor 13. 

Her eyes closed momentarily before she looked toward the camera in the corner, a harsh glare. “Sonia, this isn’t funny,” she snapped. No reply. “Sonia, I'm serious, we have to get to the Opening ceremony.”

“Oh relax,” the redhead's voice came over the speakers, “the Ceremony doesn’t start for another half an hour. Besides, even if it does start without you, this is way more important.”

“So you’ll have two of the high ranking gym leaders miss the opening ceremony for you to play games?” I questioned. What was she thinking? People would start to wonder and question. And calling in sick wouldn’t be an option because we had just done an interview. 

“No, I want two of my best friends to make up already,” she grumbled. “Both of you dodged questions and we all know why except the two of you, so talk it out already so we can get rid of this awkwardness.”

“There is no awkwardness,” I lied. ”And I never avoided questions. I answered them as I always have.”

“Yeah, dodging questions,” Leon’s voice came in. “Rai, I know you. I know when you lie and I know when you hide things, and you were hiding things. You’re upset and we all know why, so just admit it and get it over with.”

A moment passed before I heard Alice sigh, her head leaning against the cold metal wall. “He’s right,” she spoke. My eyes widened and my lips parted as I quickly turned to meet her gaze. “They both are. Ever since I came back, ever since you saw me, things have been awkward between us. One moment, we’re fine and it’s like old times, but others, it seems like we’re strangers. Something obviously bothers you about me being here, so if you want, I can give up my title after this year and we don't have to see each other unless it’s necessary.”

Did she want to leave again? She didn't want to stay? A bolt shot through my chest as I watched her, trying to get something from her expression. Did she really hate me, being around me, so much? “Is that what you want? For us to be like strangers?” My face drew void of emotion. 

“Of course not,” she answered, her voice cracking. “But it seems like you don't like me being here. I mean, you literally flew away on Fly the first time you saw me again, then you ignored me throughout the picnic, and we barely talked at the club. What do you think I’m supposed to think? Do you want me to leave?”

“I never wanted you to leave,” my heart broke as I stepped closer to her. If I could turn back time, I would stop her from leaving, I would follow her, I would do anything to keep us together. I would admit my mistakes, but she would have to admit hers. I wasn’t the only one to blame. “And don’t act like you’re all high and mighty in this. Ever since you got here, you've been flirting with just about every guy.” Why did I say that? Her eyes narrowed as she took a step back. “First, Mark at the club, then Lance, then you act like me giving Eve to you was no big deal.” I needed to shut-up. I needed my brain to talk, not my heart.

"Because it wasn’t,” she argued. “You were the one that said giving her to me meant nothing. Purely from a friend to a friend, remember?” Yes I did say that, but I didn't mean it. I gave it to her because I knew she wanted one and I thought it would have been the perfect confession. If only I had the courage back then to sign my damn name on the card. “For years, I wanted it to mean something, but it obviously meant nothing.” Wait, what? She wanted it to- Her finger poked into my chest as she continued. “And I was not flirting with Mark or Lance. I had a panic attack at the club as Mark said during the interview, and he helped me and we talked. That’s it. And Lance, really, you think I would be into him? In case you didn't notice, I was thoroughly annoyed with him in the beginning. I have always told him that I wasn't interested, but he's the one who keeps flirting.”

“Well you seemed to be really close to him at the banquet, dancing and blushing-” I argued. 

“I had to dance with him, it was a banquet. And I was blushing because-” she paused, taking in a breath and focussing her thoughts, “because of something he said about someone else. He’s known for a while how I’ve felt about that someone else, but he still likes to flirt with me to get a reaction. There’s nothing romantic going on between us.”

“So basically he made you blush about talking about Leon?” I scoffed, crossing my arms over my chest. For a while meant that she might have had feelings for this guy during our journey, right? Maybe even childhood? 

“Leon? What the hell does Leon have to do with any of this?” she seemed so confused, but how could she not know. 

“Well, you obviously have feelings for him since you two grew up together. But now you missed your chance because of Sonia,” I almost growled as I looked away. 

"Yes, Raihan, I grew up with Leon. That doesn't mean that I have or have ever had a crush on him.” She countered, clearly offended by my assumption. “Growing up with him means that I got to see all of the good and bad things about him. I got to see his ridiculous superhero phase and his phase when he literally thought he was a Charizard. I got to see his procrastination and all the times he tried to ignore Hop, and all of the times he got lost in the Wooloo pen. Leon is like my brother. I have never had feelings for him."

"Then why were you flirting with him?" Her brows furrowed as our eyes connected. How could she explain that? I had hoped that I had a little bit of a chance when she came back, hoping that she knew Leon’s feelings, but maybe not. Maybe her sights were still on the purple-haired Chairman. "I saw you flirting with him before your match," her lips parted, confusion clear on her face. "I saw you wink at him."

She froze, moments ticking between us. Finally, her throat let out a dry laugh her hand drew up to her head. "A wink," she repeated, "you stopped talking to me for 6 years because I winked at the guy that is practically my brother?" That wasn’t the reason. Arceus, I was an idiot. Why couldn’t I tell her the truth? Why did I have to be defensive? I was acting like a wounded Rockruff. She laughed again. "Okay, well since you never let me explain back then, allow me to now. I winked at Leon because we were teasing each other. I was teasing him about his crush on Sonia, and he was teasing me about my crush."

"So you did have a crush," I cursed myself for how harsh my question sounded. Who? Who did she have feelings for if it wasn’t Leon?

Her eyes rolled. "Yes, Raihan, I had a crush. I was a teenage girl with a crush," she scoffed. "Is that really all you heard? Is that all you wanted to hear, that I had a crush? Why does it even matter to you? It's not like you ever had feelings for me. You made that painfully clear when you kissed Scarlet, and when you cornered me in the wild area after my semi-finals match." 

My brows creased. Kissed Scarlett? If I had done that, it would be news to me, and I never met her after the semi-finals, so- "What are you talking about? I never kissed Scarlet and I never followed you to the wild area." I took a step forward, but she took a step back, shaking her head. I could see the mist in her eyes. This was the reason she left. Whatever happened to her there was the reason I lost her. Her jaw shook as she took another step back. "Alice, I swear,” I assured her. I had no idea what she was talking about. 

My chest constricted as I watched the pain seep through her soft features. "Then I guess it was your evil twin that cornered me and told me that I would never be good enough. And it must have been your evil twin that told me that he never wanted to see me again and that the sight of a loser like me repulsed him." A single tear fell from her eye and I wanted to reach out and dry it.

She really thought that I hated her? That I would say things like that? "Alice, do you hear yourself? Do you really think that I would say any of that to you?" My voice clearly showed the pain I felt for her. She spent six years thinking that I was repulsed by her? 

I tried to step toward her again, holding my hand out, but she stepped away, clearly not wanting to be near me. Now I guess she was repulsed by me. All I wanted was to hold her, to assure her that I didn’t say those things, to prove that I loved her. But would she listen? "6 years of silence showed me that you don't care." It was a simple statement, but it cut deep. It was true. I should have written to her, even if my letter wasn’t perfect. I should have let her know that she meant more to me, that I wanted her to stay. It was my fault. 

Her voice cracked when she pleaded with Sonia to let us out. Once again, I felt helpless. I wanted to talk more, but I knew she didn’t, and I wasn’t going to push. I knew how hurt she was. She was practically on the verge of tears, but she still kept her chin up and gave a strong presence when we were called on the field. No one dared talk to her, but I got plenty of glares. Most I could ignore since I kept my eyes pinned on her. It didn't help that her uniform made her look like a snow angel with it’s pure white, modest yet attractive look. 

There were so many times that I wanted to pull her aside and comfort her, but I couldn’t. I wouldn’t make this worse.

Before I knew it, she was gone again and the Season had officially started. I knew that I wouldn’t be getting challengers till later since I was still the last gym, but I was still busy with my own training, the few wild pokemon that were running through the city scaring people, and any other ridiculous meetings Scarlet would try and pull me into. 

It wasn’t until Leon and Sonia had both visited me that I literally got some sense kicked in me. 

“Why the hell are you waiting?” Sonia had slapped my arm.

“Trying to give her space,” I half lied. “She seemed upset and I don’t want anything to become worse than it already is.”

“Well, why would you say that she repulsed you in the first place?” Leon shot.

“I didn’t,” I argued. “I would never- could never-”

“Well whatever happened, that’s what she believes,” Sonia brought up.

“But what about the banquet? I thought she was having fun dancing with you guys, but when I turn around, she’s running out the door.” I paused, watching Sonia and Leon glace at one another. “What?” My lips fell and my body tensed. “What did Lance say to her?”

“It wasn’t Lance you moron,” Sonia hit my arm once again. 

“Well if It wasn’t Lance, then who was it?” my hands were thrown in the air as I stopped my pacing. 

“Who do you think?” Sonia glared, smacking the back on my head. “Scarlett was the last person to talk to her, and from what Alice told me, Bea and Nessa, Scarlett was the one who got in between you two back then. So what do you think happened?” 

The question was obviously rhetorical, but I still couldn’t help the answers that flooded my mind. Maybe she had said something that made Alice leave the banquet, but what could she have said to make her leave Galar as a whole? It wasn’t like she wasn’t at the semi-finals and finals, even if she had gotten up for some air after Leon and Alice’s match. And it wasn’t like she had a pokemon that could make people see-

My fists tightened at my sides as my eyes glared at the wall in front of me. “I have to go,” I growled, grabbing my coat before rushing out the door.

Before the door closed, I could hear Sonia shout, “He finally gets it,” with an exaggerated sigh. As much as I wanted to turn back and snap at her, I couldn’t. I had to confront a demon. 

“What the hell did you do to her?” My voice raised as I burst through the double doors of the Mayoral Office, Scarlet sitting at her desk on the other side of the room. 

“Raihan, I may like Psychic and Ghost pokemon, but I’m not a mind reader, so I don’t know what you mean,” she innocently asked, her pen tapping the side of her red lips. 

“Alice,” I growled, “Why in the hell does she think I hate her? Why does she think I’m repulsed by her?” 

The red-head only sat back in her chair with one of her fake innocent smiles. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” her lips split into a smirk as her head tilted up.

“Yes you do,” I growled, my fists hitting her desk. My eyes glared daggers at the red-head. “Why does she think I kissed you and why does she think I followed her after her semi-finals match with Leon? You were the only one I noticed that was gone after that, so what happened?”

“Oh, that? I just set her straight,” she lifted herself out of her seat only to shift onto her desk. 

With my chest-puffing, I crossed my arms over my chest and waited for her to continue. When she didn’t, I spoke up again. “What did you say to her?”

“Just the truth, or the truth she needed to hear,” she laughed. “I just told her that she couldn’t do anything right, that I was disgusted by her and repulsed by her, and that my life would be better without her in it.” Her explanation seemed too simple, but there was more to it. “It’s not my fault if one of my pokemon happened to make her think it was you saying those things. But it’s all true. I mean, that girl is repulsive and everyone would be better if she had just stayed gone.” Her laugh was venom in my ears as she threw her manicured hand in the air, dismissing any blame that might have fallen on her. But it was her fault. 

She was the reason Alice left. She manipulated our feelings to fit what she wanted and I lost out on six years with the woman I loved. What else had she planned? Who else had she pushed away from me? A dark huff escaped my throat as I hung my head. “You’re a bitch, you know that?” That seemed to silence her as her jaw dropped. “You’re a manipulative bitch that cares nothing about anyone else. All that matters is that you get what you want, huh?” 

“Excuse me?” she gawked. “I am the mayor of this town-”

“Yeah and I’m the gym leader that has more power than you do. What do you do? Sit in your little office here and pretend to rule people’s lives? Make rules that benefit you? I actually protect the town and the people in it and I will not hesitate to end your political career.”

“Because of what? Something I did years ago? No one is going to care,” she scoffed.

“I care,” I growled. 

“Why? Because I scared away the little brat that you had a little crush on? Look at how your life has turned out, Raihan. I was the one that gave a good word to Gilbert about you. I was the one who got you to where you are now, as the strongest gym leader in Galar. People worship you. Do you really think you would have had that with her? Do you really think that she could have made you happy?”

“Yes,” my jaw tightened as our eyes met. Her body jolted back at my answer, but I continued. “Yes, I would have been happy with her because it wasn’t just a silly crush. I was in love with Alice back then and I still am today. So guess what? All of your work trying to get me was for nothing.”

For a few moments, she sat there with a slack jaw and wide eyes. “Raihan you don’t mean-,” her voice shook in an almost comically worried laugh.

“I do-” my eyes narrowed on her. “I thought I had made myself clear years ago, but I don’t want to see you unless it’s for a city emergency. Stay away from me and stay away from Alice. If I find out you have contacted her in any way, you will regret it. Do I make myself clear?”

Another moment of silence passed before her brows knit together and her eyes narrowed, her arms crossing over her chest. “Crystal clear,” she growled. With one last glare toward the red-head, I began to leave. “Oh, you should probably have these,” she sighed, reaching down to open one of her drawers. My eyes narrowed at the box that she pulled out. “These are her letters,” Scarlet’s eyes looked down to the side as she spoke, “all 52 of them.” My eyes widened and my jaw fell, my hands fisting at my sides.

“You kept them from me?” My words came out in a growl. 

She nodded. “There’s one for each week. The damn brat was so persistent,” her lips curled up as she glared at the papers. 

“So not only did you pretend to be me and make her leave, but you kept her letters away from me?” She nodded again. 

“You were focused on training so much and it was so easy since I was Gilbert’s secretary that year.” Her voice seemed so unphased by all of this as she shrugged. She was caught, and yet, she seemed uncaring. “But since the Delcatty is out of the bag, I guess you should know that I used my Gengar on her before that too.” My head turned slowly as my jaw began to tighten again. “I may have told him to make Alice think you and I were kissing when we were supposed to be collecting berries before the 8th gym challenge.” Again, she acted so nonchalant about everything she had done. Like she hadn’t toyed with people’s emotions or ruined people’s lives. 

But, at that point, I wasn’t surprised. Only a huff escaped my lips as my head shook. “You really are a bitch,” I growled. Looking down at the box in my hands, my head shook. “Goodbye, Scarlet,” were the last words I said before turning to walk away. I didn’t even wait for her response before I walked out, closing the door on the parasite that had ruined my life.

No more time wasted, I promised myself as I sped off to Circhester. Consequences be damned, I would see her by the end of the day, and if any challengers managed to get to my gym, well they would be able to have a day or two before they could see me. I needed to get my girl. 

The only challenge now would be trying to tear my eyes away from her and speak as she relaxed in her gym’s hot tub. Luckily, Sonia had already sent a bag to the Circhester Gym and I didn’t know if I should have thanked or cursed the Professor. Either way, I was able to change into a pair of swim trunks before I stepped into the steamy room. I had a whole speech that I would tell her, but it all flew out of my mind when I spotted her relaxing in the warm water. Her eyes were closed and her head was tilted back. The mere sight of her froze me, only to be thawed by the steam after a few moments. One step after the other, I made my way to the tub, pausing mere feet away from the Ice Leader as my feet dipped in the warm water. I could see her eyes move beneath her eyelids, possibly confused as to who joined her. Then they fluttered open, only to widen as she gasped. 

I could see her eyes raking up and down my body, making me inwardly grin. 

"Ya know, for someone who loves the warmth so much, I can't help but wonder why you chose the ice gym?" My voice rumbled as I stepped further into the water, sitting on the edge as I watched her. 

I could see her gulp, her eyes concentrating on my own. Her head shook. "I chose Circhester because I do love the snow." I hummed and nodded once, slipping the rest of the way into the water. "And what about you?" She held her head up. "Don’t dragons thrive in warmer temperatures?" I couldn’t help but grin. "Here to get intel on the trainers? Want to get ahead of the competitors?" My head shook. "Then what? I seem to remember that when we were getting our badges, you swore up and down that you would never return." 

It was almost amusing how much she remembered and how much she knew me. "I said I wouldn't come back unless I had a reason," I reminded her, a smirk prominently on my lips. She hummed and nodded, almost rolling her eyes as her own lips parted into a soft smile. 

"And, pray tell, what is your reason?"

"You," I simply admitted. 

"Me?" The question was soft as our eyes locked together. Her brows rose and her arms crossed over her chest. 

I nodded. "You've been avoiding me. You've been ignoring my texts and calls."

"I've been busy," her eyes looked down, her hands twisting with one another. 

"Oh yes," I snorted out a light laugh. "A rampaging Abomasnow is very threatening," I teased. 

Her eyes snapped up to meet mine, and her lips parted in a silent gasp. "Raph and I can show you how threatening an Abomasnow can really be," she challenged, making me laugh and hold my hands up. After so many battles with her, both now and back then, I knew how powerful Raph could be, so I just laughed and held my hands up. “You're a gym leader too, you should know very well what that means." She nearly scowled. After years of being a Gym Leader, I knew exactly what she meant. 

"Yeah, something about protecting your town's people and stuff like that." I jokingly waved it off as if it was nothing. "You're strong, you can handle anything," I told her. We fell into silence as I ran my fingers through my dark dreads. "Can I tell you a story?" My voice came out softly. 

She nodded. “You can always tell me anything."

It was now or never. With a deep breath, my eyes locked on hers and I began my own story. “When I first became a trainer, I thought that it was better to train alone, to _be_ alone. I had a dream and I was going to achieve it. It wasn't until the opening ceremony that I realized just how many people had that same dream. I was actually thinking of quitting right then and there because there was no way I could beat all of them. Then, I saw this petite girl before we all went onto the field. She seemed terrified as she held onto her eevee. I wanted to go over to her, to talk to her, to comfort her. But I didn't get a chance. As soon as my feet took a step, I noticed a purple-haired boy walk up to her. He said something and it made her laugh, and I couldn't help but smile. She went from this meek little girl to suddenly, full of radiance and confidence." I could still see her clearly in my mind. 

My eyes stayed on her, gauging whether I should continue or not. And with her silence, I continued. 

"The next time I saw her was when I had stupidly gotten caught in a snowstorm." I chuckled, remembering how cold I was with my silocobra tucked in my jacket. "She had run over to me with a blanket and her eevee close behind her. She brought me to her camp and I stayed the night with her, the purple-haired boy, and their redheaded friend. During that time, she had somehow talked me into permanently joining their group," she smiled. 

"Probably my curry," she teased. “Your eyes used to glow when I was making it," she giggled.

"Oh it was definitely your curry," I grinned. "But it was also because I was already hooked on you. While Leon became my main rival, as time passed, you became more. You were my friend, but I knew I would do anything for you. It took me way too long to figure out my true feelings, and when I did, you were already gone in my mind. I told myself that I would tell you how I felt after the semi-finals, but then I saw you wink at Leon and- and somehow it all made sense to me. You grew up with him, always seemed happy around him and you were blushing. I had caught an Applin for you, but it didn't matter because you didn't know it was me and you already liked Leon. Then everything went by so fast. Leon won against you, then became the champion, and the next thing I knew, you were on a plane without as much as a goodbye. I spent weeks out in the wild area, training, and trying not to think about you. Then, the Hammerlock gym leader approached me and offered me his position. I trained under him until the next season started and I officially became the gym leader during the yearly banquet. Then six years passed and Leon was dethroned and I walked out to join him at the barbeque, only to completely freeze when I realized that you were back. I told myself that it would be better if I ignored you, that I wouldn't fall for you again if I only kept my distance. But I couldn't stay away. You had become a confident and beautiful woman, graceful yet ferocious in battle." 

I could see a blush creep onto her cheeks as I continued, her breath hitching as I stood, walking toward her. Each sentence brought me closer to her, closer to showing her exactly how I saw her, how much I cared about her. Slowly, I drew closer and closer to her until my hands rested on either side of her face, our faces mere inches apart. 

"I got jealous when I saw you talking to Mark, but still tried to keep my distance because I knew what would happen if I came close to you again. I knew what would happen, but I still couldn't stay away. I could never stay away from you. And now I stand here, asking you to forgive me for all of those idiotic years because I can’t live without you." My heart was beating with each word that I spoke. 

Time ticked on as I waited for her answer. I knew I wanted her, loved her. But did she love me? Could she forgive me for what happened, what she was put through? Only one word mattered at that moment. 

“Yes,” the word came out in barely a whisper, but it was enough. Without a second thought, I cradled her cheek in my hand and leaned down, finally connecting our lips. My tongue ran across her bottom lip and she moaned. A growl ripped through my chest as she pulled on my lip. She gasped as I quickly lifted her out of the water. Placing her on the edge of the tub. I heard her whimper as my free hand wrapped around her waist, bringing me even closer to her. I kept trying to pull her closer and closer, but it was never enough. I had waited years for this moment and all I wanted to do was enjoy it. I finally had the woman I loved in my arms. Another whimper escaped her beautiful lips as I ground into her, feeling her warmth pressing against my shorts. She moaned as I tore my lips away, only to trail heated kisses down her neck, kissing, sucking, and biting. Her body begged for more, grinding her hips into my own, causing her name to fall from my mouth. 

Arceus, how long had we both wanted this? How long had we both needed this? I wanted to touch her until I had her begging under me. I wanted to kiss her until she grew lightheaded and breathless. Her back arched as my hands ran up and down her sides, holding her like she was going to vanish at any moment. 

My throat was dry by the time we finally parted. Breathing heavily, I rested my forehead against hers. "God I love you," I breathed out. Her eyes shot up to meet mine, and for a moment, I wondered if I was wrong. A small smile played on my lips as I kissed her cheek. "Allie, I am so sorry for everything. I should have known, I-" I swallowed thickly, looking down at our intertwined fingers. "I should have known that you and Leon would never- I should have known about Scarlett and I definitely should have messaged you when you were gone. I am so sorry."

Her head shook before she tilted forward, catching my lips. "I’m sorry too, Rai. I should have known that it was Scarlett using some mind trick." I chuckled, pecking her lips again. "But it doesn't matter now. What matters is that I love you and I don't want to live without you either." 

That was music to my ears. The woman I loved felt the same way, I finally had the woman of my dreams and I would never let go of her. I grinned widely, pulling her closer, making her squeal. “Then I guess I have a stunning gym leader to take out some time.” I was trying to be suave and flirtatious, but I guess it was hard when my stomach growled only a beat later.

"Or I have a handsome Dragon Leader to take out tonight," She laughed kissing my cheek. "There's an amazing curry place in town. Why don't I take the hot dragon leader out?"

She giggled when I growled and pulled her closer once more. "Speaking my language, sweetheart."

"I've always been able to speak dragon," she grinned with a wink winked.

A chuckle erupted from my throat as I held her in my arms, finally feeling peace. And I knew that no matter how tonight went I wouldn’t lose her. I had my girl and I would never let go.


End file.
